Carbon monoxide (CO) is recognized as an important signaling molecule (Verma et al., Science 259:381-384, 1993). It has also been suggested that CO acts as a neuronal messenger molecule in the brain (Id.) and as a neuro-endocrine modulator in the hypothalamus (Pozzoli et al., Endocrinology 735:2314-2317, 1994). Like nitric oxide (NO), CO is a smooth muscle relaxant (Utz et al., Biochem Pharmacol. 47:195-201, 1991; Christodoulides et al., Circulation 97:2306-9, 1995) and inhibits platelet aggregation (Mansouri et al., Thromb Haemost. 48:286-8, 1982). Inhalation of low levels of CO has been shown to have anti-inflammatory effects in some models.
Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) is a disease of newborns characterized by gut barrier failure, intestinal necrosis, sepsis, and multi-system organ failure (see, e.g., Oxford Textbook of Surgery, Morris and Malt, Eds., Oxford University Press (1994)).